Undergraduate Awards and Scholarships
Department Scholarships
Kala Mandali/Friends of South Asian Arts Scholarship
Awards of $500 ($250/semester)
Awarded to an undergraduate student and a graduate student based on scholarship and demonstrated interest and/or activity in South Asian Arts and Culture.
Stanley Summer Scholarship for Asian Language Study
Awards up to $5,000
Awarded to currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students in Asian Languages and Literatures/Asian Civilizations for intensive language study.
Tsara Ann Hinman Chinese Award
Award of $150 ($75/semester)
Awarded to undergraduate and graduate female students, currently pursuing a degree at the University of Iowa and enrolled in a Chinese language class. Preference will be given to students who demonstrate: (1) an aptitude and achievement in previous work in their Chinese language study, and (2) serious commitment to Chinese study but need financial assistance for achieving language study goals. Priority will be given to students who intend to continue their Chinese study after the award period. Previous awardees are not eligible for the award.
Cheng/Liu Chinese Scholarship
Awards up to $1,500
Awarded to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in Chinese, who plan to return to the University of Iowa for further study. The scholarship may be used at a recognized summer Chinese language program in the United States or abroad. Undergraduate students currently studying Chinese language in the Department of Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Iowa may apply, but preference will be given to a student who is majoring in Chinese. Students must have a minimum UI cumulative GPA of 3.3 and a minimum GPA of 3.3 in Chinese courses for the Chinese major or minor. It is a merit-based scholarship, therefore priority will be given to students maintaining a higher GPA.
Helen K. Fairall Russian Scholarship
Award of $3,000
Awarded to students majoring in Asian Languages and Literatures or Russian. Eligible students must have a minimum UI cumulative GPA of 3.0 and be enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program for both semesters of the 2023-2024 academic year (12 semester hours). Eligibility criteria also requires being born in Iowa and educated in Iowa for at least grades one through eight OR born in the United States and graduated from an Iowa high school.
Undergraduate students cannot receive this scholarship for Study Abroad.
Helene Scriabine Undergraduate Prize in Russian Studies
Award up to $1,500
Awarded to a deserving student majoring or minoring in Russian or Russian Studies. Preference will be given to third or fourth year undergraduates who have excelled in the study or Russian and show promise for using the language in their career.
CLAS Scholarships
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences supports numerous scholarships through the college's annual scholarship competition. For a list of scholarships available in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and information on applying for scholarships, visit the CLAS Scholarships page. Please contact the undergraduate advisor or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Programs for questions regarding the application process.
James and Syndy Conger Scholarship
Award up to $2,000
Awarded to a currently enrolled undergraduate student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with over 30 hours of earned college credit, majoring in one of the following departments: Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures, Classical Languages, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish. Student must be seeking their first undergraduate degree, maintain a minimum 3.5 UI GPA, be enrolled full-time, and demonstrate financial need through completing a FAFSA.
Esther Walls Scholarship
Award up to $3,000
Awarded to currently enrolled undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences majoring in one of the following departments: African American Studies Program, American Studies, Anthropology, Art and Art History, Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures, Cinema and Comparative Literature, Classics, Communication Studies, Dance, English, French and Italian, Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, German, Health and Human Physiology, History, Journalism and Mass Communication, Linguistics, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Social Work, Sociology, Spanish and Portuguese, Theatre Arts, or Women’s Studies.
Student must have earned 60+ hours of college credit, have a minimum UI GPA of 3.75, be seeking their first undergraduate degree, and continue full-time as a junior or senior.
International Programs Funding
Explore the many funding opportunities open to UI students and alumni, available from the International Programs Student Grants and Fellowships page.
Students majoring in a world language who are participating in a study abroad program or an international internship program through International Programs should investigate the Richard J. Tyner International Programs Scholarship.
Undergraduate students wishing to study in a geographical area where Japanese, Chinese, or Korean is the primary language should investigate the Bedell World Citizenship Experience Asia Scholarship.
Undergraduate students who study abroad in one or more of the following countries and territories: China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India should investigate the James L. and Rubie S. Watson Study Abroad Scholarship .
Undergraduate students who study abroad in countries including sub-Saharan Africa, Asia (including Central Asia), Latin America, and the Middle East (including North Africa) should investigate the Joel D. and Sandra Barkan Scholarship.
Undergraduate students who are committed to developing advanced language proficiency should investigate the Naomi Gunderson Scholarship for Foreign Language Study Abroad.
External Funding
Scholarships to support study abroad also exist outside the University (e.g., through the Boren Awards for International Study and the Council on International Educational Exchange). For more information on these programs and on scholarships and funds available to help underwrite the costs of travel, contact Study Abroad (335-0353), 1111 University Capitol Centre.
Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS) Scholarship
Scholarships for Study Abroad in East and Southeast Asia are available for undergraduate students attending the University of Iowa. Please visit CAPs Study Abroad in Asia Scholarship.
Chinese Government Scholarship
Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students in Chinese Language classes are eligible to Apply. The Chinese Government Scholarship from the Chinese Ministry of Education is to support students studying Chinese language and culture at a Chinese university in Mainland China. The scholarship will cover tuition, medical insurance and monthly living allowance for one semester of study in China. Applications are available every March, for awards to be applied to the fall. To apply, please contact your Chinese class instructor.
Freeman Awards for Study in Asia
Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA), made possible by generous support from the Freeman Foundation. Created to assist U.S. students with demonstrated financial need and limited prior experience in East and Southeast Asia, Freeman-ASIA will fund approximately 400 students over the next two academic years, with awards ranging from $3,000 per student for summer study and $5,000 per semester, to a maximum of $7,000 for a full year abroad. Students may apply online starting February 1st for awards to study abroad beginning in summer 2016. Prospective students should visit the Freeman-ASIA Award website for eligibility requirements, full application instructions and a list of deadlines.